Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-03-25
HOTEL HORROR.
80 People Said to Have Persisted.
Anl MAny Injured.

property. The most distres,ful part of
the disaster is the loss of several human
ives. The rapidity of the fire cutting off
means of escape led some persons to leap
for life from the windows. Others got
down the fire escapes or on Hayes ladders
raised by the fire department. The shrieks
and cries of the poor people in the upper
stories of the burning structure were
heartrending. One man mad with terror
leaped from third story window and was
picked up from the stone sidewalk on
Main street mang,ed and bleeding corpse
Several who succeeded in making their
escape were badly in iured and burned and
some of these Will probably die. Others
more fortunate ESCAPED with slight in
Jures.
The spread of the flames is said to have
been frightful in rapidity. The elevator
shaft served as fiue for the flames and
tn Y rushed up to the top floor in IA very
few moments. AS the guests were reused
and saw the interior exits cut OF they
turned 10 the windows. They could be
ten in their night clothes, standing out
clear and vivid before the lurid back
ground of the flames. Their screams were
horrible 10 hear. and they could be heard
for blocks.
William II. Airport, night clerk was sit.
ting in the Office at $40 o'clock when he
saw reflection on the floor. Turning
round he discovered blaze in the coat
and cloak room directly under the stair
way on the main floor The flames AZ
once darted up the elevator shaft with
tremendous force, and in an incredibly
short space OF time the interior of the
hotel was filed with smoke and flame.
Then the terrible scenes began. The sec
ond and third alarms brought the entire
fire department 20 tn, scene, but il was
Impossible TO save any portion OF the
structure. The fire Il reached tho roof
in less than five inmates from the time il
was Iii covered IL soon reached and
quite -. James hall &C upied as Bunnell's
mu cum ana 1lVol hall al dining and
fronting on Wa hington street. The fire
which was under control by , O'Clock was
confined To the Richmond hotel and mu
scum property together with the saloon of
James creighton and the Gig. store OF j.
G. fUlaCfO On the Main street side. The
Maine trect store OF the Richmond hotel
were occupied 10y l blch and Kingsley,
booksellers and Il TONERS. Peter Paul and
Fuller a Iown,end, proprietors Of the
10. ton clothing store. The -tOCks in these
stores were totally destroyed, entalling
heavy loses. y, usual the tiremen We're
hampered terribly by the mass of tell graph
wires and cables strung IN front OF the
building on Main street.
The wall OF the burned building are a
menace TO life and until they are razed and
the ruin, cooled, no search for bodies can
be made. IL j. undoubtedly fact that at
least thirty persons persisted.
OF the seven bodies recovered soon after
the fire was checked, five were servants
OF the house. Twenty other persons were
seriously. many OF them fatally injured,
aud were taken 10 the iii lerent hospitals
of the city.
Many very narrow escapes are reported
James McG uire. night engineer at the
pOstotice, got into the hotel soon after the
fir broke out lie saved man who was
coming down stairs IN his night clothe,
and who was Frustrated 10y the liames and
smoke. Aitr get him out he returned
and tried 20 rescue young girl from
room on the third floor. but she was
lost in the fire. Mr.. Mcclure said At
was terrible 60 hear her cries. For some
re son she could not open the door and /
was unable to break II in Finally was
driven away bv fire and smoke and hal to
leave her To her fac. | could only tell
from her voice, hut supposed she was a
Y ung girl anywhere from 10 To IL years
old. She was in room on the third floor
facing on Main street.
4. III. Humos occupied n room on tie
third floor. He was awakened by the
electric bells. and after arousing people on
the same floor, jumped through window
to the kitchen roof. There everything
was in flames. After bidding good bye To
several others on the same roof he made
through the kit hen skylight and out
through tho flames and escaped. lie left
live person; on the kitchen roof, and
thinks they must all have persisted. as they
did not attempt TO follow him through the
flames.
Henry b. Rumsey was on the top story
He ran down one fight of stairs and start
ed fer rear window. Seeing little girl
in the hallway he returned, got her and
um ed with her in his arms on 20 Bun
nqlI = m Tho ~ and tho ha ri IN
his face were burned Oft and lie was severe
~ burned about the body. He will prob
ably die.
Among the brave deeds of the firemen
was one {, CRYING Of sIecial mention.
District Engin err edward Murphy was on
"a ladder re>cuing some OF the o 'cupauts of
the hotel At an upper window was one
OF the female domestic lie shouted TO
her TO remain whore she was and he would
com up and save her The cor creature.
frantic with terror. inst al Of oheying,
leaped from tie window and literally
threw hcrse at Murphy. This caused him
% lose his balance on the ladder but he
hung on with one hand and caught the
cir nd the neck holding her thus
firmly mil he could regain his equil brium,
when he I'D down the ladder, bearing her
safely Co the Ground
Five girls who roomed on the fifth floor
made roue ont of tie ted clothes and
hung lt out II the window, hut none of
tDt m seef0t u 10 nave the courage 10 start
At last orc OF the five took hold and swung
down 70 4 wiz dow ledge from which she
was rescued. Three Others came down in
the same manner. and then the fifth girl
started down. She had gone but little
distance when the rope parted and down
she went four stories. Strange To say she
was not ki ed. Her legs were terribly
cnt and brui ell, her back badly injured
and her face and arms In a trightful con
dition from burns.
H. NJ. Johnson says ~ awoke and
found my room full OF smoke. ! dres sed
quickly and rushed out into the hallway
Men women and children acted perfectly
wild and did not know which way TO GO /
Women raved like m1niacs and rushed pell
mel for he 't1irway and in every direc- /
ton. The smoke was almost sur coating /
cannot remember anything about how |
got out.
Perhaps tie most trilling e.cape Of any
was that OF Pres Whitaker, stepson of
Proprietor stafford lie roomed in the
nth story, and when arou ell stepped TO
the window and looked down for few
seconds. Then he deliberately dressed
himself and emerging from the win low
stood on the stone Gaping above the win
dow beneath. From this Gaping he step
ped 10 the next ore along the front OF the /
buil.ing and procce led IN TIL, manner TO
the Hayes truck ladder at the other cx